Opinion Archives | Page 5 of 11

Opinion

Since When Is Mixed Programming Okay on Shlichus?

Walk into many teen programs, college events, and social gatherings on shlichus today, and mixed seating or mixed activities are often treated as an unavoidable cost of reaching people – “there is simply no other way.” But a response from the Rebbe seems to indicate otherwise.

I Discovered a Treasure Hiding in the Rebbe’s Sichos

A shliach shares how a little-known resource transformed the way he learns and teaches the Rebbe’s sichos, opening up a whole new depth of understanding and revealing insights he had never appreciated before.

Who Is Watching the Kashrus in Our Yeshiva Kitchens?

Every day, tens of thousands of children eat meals prepared in yeshivos, schools, and chadarim, with parents trusting that the kitchens are in good hands and the food is 100% kosher. Unfortunately, serious kashrus problems in unsupervised kitchens often go unnoticed because everyone assumes someone else is watching.

When Personal Agendas Are Dressed Up as Chassidus

"In recent online articles, people are making passionate arguments, speeches, and attempts at persuasion, all presented in the name of Torah and Chassidus. Everyone seems to be claiming to represent the true kavonah ha'elyonah."

What Rabbi Chodakov Told the Father Who Demanded English in Cheder

When a successful and prominent man wanted his son’s melamed to change the language of instruction from Yiddish to English, the young Oholei Torah teacher stood his ground. Reb Sholom Horowitz, a former melamed in Oholei Torah, tells over a story from 50 years ago highlighting the importance placed on Yiddish as the language of chinuch.

When Chassidishe Things Replace Chassidishkeit

"The point is not merely that we need to care about the 'important things' too. The Alter Rebbe is saying something much sharper: If we turn the secondary into the primary, the actual primary will eventually become secondary. That principle has enormous relevance to how we understand the Rebbe’s expectations of a Chossid."

As Israel Heads to Elections, Parties Court Chabad Voters

As millions prepare to head to the polls in one of Israel’s most consequential and divisive elections, parties are aggressively targeting Chabad voters through videos, flyers, promises, songs and jingles, all claiming to be most faithful to the standards the Rebbe demanded: Shleimus haTorah, shleimus ha’am, and shleimus ha’aretz.

I Sent My Son to Crown Heights for Shiur Daled

An out-of-town Lubavitcher parent describes his dismay at the spiritual atmosphere his son encountered in Crown Heights during Shiur Daled and calls on the community to take responsibility for restoring the kedushah of the Rebbe’s shechunah.

Are We Missing the Point of Being Lubavitch?

"When someone is fighting a life-threatening disease, it makes little sense to focus his attention on a minor cosmetic concern. The cosmetic concern may be real. It may even be worth addressing. But proportion matters. And I think that is precisely where we sometimes go wrong."

The Problem May Go Beyond the Magazine’s Cover

"Crown Heights is abuzz after reports emerged that Crown Heights stores had united in a decision not to carry a certain frum magazine, following controversy over its front-cover feature. I'm not here to critique any specific magazines or publications. But perhaps it's time we paid just as much attention to what is printed on all the other pages."

Your Son Knows His Yeshivah Schedule; Does He Know Why?

"As thousands of Bochurim return to Yeshivah after Tishrei, they already know what their days will look like. Yet there is a question that deserves more attention than it usually receives: Why did the Rebbe Rashab establish this particular combination of learning and Avodah?"

The Chumash Book That Changed How I Teach

"As a high school teacher, I'm always looking for ways to make what we learn in Chumash more meaningful to my students. Last year, I discovered a book that does just that."

Chassidus Was Not Meant to Be Taught in a Vacuum

"Recently, there has been a discussion about how Chassidus is taught and why it feels disconnected from many people's daily lives. While many valid points have been raised, I believe an important perspective is missing."

The 12 Step ‘Program’ To Opening Our Eyes

"A person may believe the Rebbe, believe in Moshiach, believe that we are at the end of golus, and still not experience his daily life in a way that corresponds to those words. What prevents him from seeing the reality the Rebbe is describing?"

After Tishrei Thoughts: Can We Host Better?

"Tishrei in Crown Heights is like nowhere else. Thousands come to be with the Rebbe, our shuls overflow, and the streets are alive with simcha. But now that Yom Tov is behind us, it's worth stepping back and asking: are we doing this the right way?"

Since When Was Chassidus Meant to Be Self-Serving? — Part II

"The question is not about minimizing avodah ch"v. The Rebbeim emphasized again and again that Chassidus must affect the way a person serves Hashem. The question is whether that effect is the ultimate reason for the learning, or whether it is the natural outcome of something deeper."

Rabbi Yisroel Rubin: A Life of Enjoying Torah

"How poignant that my father's passing came as we celebrate Simchas Torah, completing the Torah and immediately beginning it anew. For my father, Torah was not simply something to study or teach. It was something to live, celebrate, and genuinely enjoy."

Aliba D’hilchesa: How Halacha Provides Direction, Clarity, and Geshmak

In an in-depth interview, Rabbi Menachem Aizenman, Rosh Yeshiva of the Poconos Yeshiva, speaks about the unique approach to learning Gemara he institued: learning aliba d’hilchesa. “It’s not plainly Gemara alongside Shulchan Aruch. It’s using the poskim’s guidance to understand the framework of the sugya itself.”

What Are You Still Pushing Away?

As we return to our regular lives after the Yomim Tovim, the Rebbe’s correspondence about Yaakov Zerubavel offers a timely lesson in the courage it takes to reconsider a familiar way of living. From a shiur by Rabbi Mendel Shapiro of Los Angeles.

The ‘Big Tent’ of Lubavitch

"Politicians love the phrase big tent. A party roomy enough for people who disagree, who come from different places, who would never otherwise share a table. Usually it's a slogan. This Tishrei, in Crown Heights, I watched one actually stand."

The Ignored Crisis in Our Yeshivos

"Every year, hundreds of Lubavitche bochrim finish three years of Mesivta and move on to Yeshivah Gedola. It’s supposed to be a major step forward. But there’s a massive problem standing in the way, and almost no one is talking about it."